Federal officials plan to add more bridges to let Everglades water flow under U.S. 41

Highway, also known as Tamiami Trail, crosses South Florida

May 19, 2010|By William E. Gibson, Sun Sentinel

WASHINGTON — At a national forum to showcase the Everglades, federal officials on Wednesday proposed to add 5.5 miles of bridges on the Tamiami Trail to help restore a natural water flow.

The announcement sparked sustained applause from hundreds of environmentalists who came to "America's Everglades Summit," sponsored by the Everglades Foundation. Their mission is to raise the national profile of the Everglades and lobby Congress for more money to restore it.

The effort seemed to pay off when Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for fish and wildlife, used the occasion to announce plans to further elevate U.S. 41 along the northern edge of Everglades National Park.

After years of planning and litigation, work began last year to build a one-mile bridge to allow more water to pass under the road.

Armed with a draft environmental impact statement, the Obama administration will seek congressional approval to add 5.5 miles of bridges on the road.

The announcement came during a panel discussion on the Everglades moderated by former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw.

Strickland said the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico made everyone more aware of the value of protecting Florida's environment.

"I think the whole world is pulling for the Gulf Coast right now and for Florida, and we're all looking to do the right thing," Strickland said. "So hopefully it will add impetus to efforts like restoring the Everglades, which is not just an issue for South Florida, it's an issue for the whole country."

Participants at the summit plan to lobby members of Congress on Thursday to fund the bridge work and other Everglades projects.

The Obama administration has proposed spending $180 million on Everglades restoration projects in the fiscal year that will begin in October, according to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston.

Wasserman Schultz,, a member of the Appropriations Committee, is optimistic the Everglades will get the money.

"The president has been clear that work to restore the Everglades is the utmost of our natural resources priorities," said Gary Guzy, deputy director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "This sits at the top of the list in terms of funding and the need to carry on."